“水墨当下”的艺术视野

从20世纪下半页到本世纪初，在传统和现代的双重语境中，水墨艺术问题是中国文化和思想的具体外在表现之一。近10年来，随着中国经济和文化地位在国际平台上的凸显，民族和文化意识的更加强化，“水墨”作为一种艺术表现方式和中国艺术文化的重要表征之一，越来越引起海内外的关注，许多重要的艺术家和机构也都参与到“水墨”的建设和研究工作当中。因此对水墨艺术的发展进行梳理和当下呈现，将是能够把握时代脉搏的重要文化举措。

民族身份与文化认同，始终是伴随着中国水墨画家的重要话题，尤其在全球文化的背景中，文化全球化与中国艺术的话语权，更是每位艺术家面临的挑战。展览与交流是促进沟通与对话的重要桥梁，朱屺瞻艺术馆与多伦现代美术馆在策划首届上海新水墨大展的同时，就着力建构“上海新水墨基地”作为常设的新水墨艺术研究与活动平台，借以推动新水墨艺术的发展。

朱屺瞻艺术馆和多伦现代美术馆一直关注当代水墨领域：2005年以刘国松、陈家泠、仇德树三位艺术家的《天地人和》群展拉开了首届上海新水墨艺术大展的序幕，2006年举办了以《水墨再生》为主题的第二届大展，采用了客座策展人制，九个子展览全方位多角度地展示新水墨生态景观。2007年除延用客座策展人制外，还邀请陆俨少艺术院共同参与。举办了以《水墨在途》为主题的第三届水墨大展，多层次地展示了行进中的水墨景观，凸现了水墨的动态发展的进程。

我馆自2005年举办首届“天地人和——上海新水墨大展”以来，至今已届五年。几年来，新水墨的语境亦朝着更为有利的方向发展，我们欣喜地看到，新水墨创作队伍扩展与逐步壮大，各种艺术型态兼容并包，和而不同。呈现出多元价值取向，构成了当代水墨画坛的对立互补的整体艺术机制。无论是“拒绝西方眼光的水墨画与应顺西方眼光的后水墨画”。他们在寻求现代艺术语言与中国传统文化精神的契合点上殊途同归。

水墨画作为民族文化的符号与载体，在当今世界多元文化的格局中，正越来越受到人们的关注与重视，水墨与国际对话的空间正在增大各地美术馆在水墨研究与建设领域起了重要的助推作用，国际间文化交流互动进一步发展。
中国画家在当代世界文化格局中的文化自信心正在不断增强，站在民族文化保护和提升民族精神的更高视点上看，要增强中国艺术的文化话语权。就要努力弘扬中华文化，没有民族性就没有世界性。既要有开放的胸襟与国际视野，同时又要坚守自我民族的文化精神。

本届2009年主题为《水墨当下》的第四届上海新水墨艺术大展，由朱屺瞻艺术馆和上海多伦现代美术馆联合举办，展览汇集了来自海内外60多位艺术家的当代水墨作品，展现整体水墨领域的发展现状。本届大展由五个主题子展览构成：朱屺瞻艺术馆一楼推出“上海新水墨基地特展”展出了首届大展刘国松、陈家泠和仇德树三位参展艺术家的近作，通过它们的作品首先回顾了新水墨展览的发展轨迹和历程，并且呈现出这些艺术家在水墨领域的探索新成果。

在朱屺瞻艺术馆二、三楼展出的“ 水墨创造•感悟都市”展览，从中国都市化进程和都市文化崛起带来的水墨人文景观入手，将当代水墨艺术家从山水和人物两个分主题切入中国改革开放后的都市社会图景，呈现出中国独有的社会现实；

多伦现代美术馆底楼的“海外水墨”则选取了海外的中国水墨画家和从事水墨艺术的外国艺术家参展，在全球化、本土化的话题张力中间，呈现出历史与当下特定的艺术视野；

二楼展出的“ 水墨•抽象”展览，从单纯的水墨语言角度，探索语言表达和观念之间的联系，更深层次的切入了当代人的精神世界；


而在多伦三楼展出的“粉墨——当代女性水墨画展” 则借助女性艺术家独特的视野，细腻的呈现了当代人的日常生活，借助水墨把当代女性对生活的感悟和思考纳入了水墨艺术的总体视角。

连续第四届举办“上海新水墨大展”如此规模的展览，对艺术馆自身来说是一个挑战，但面对各方面的问题和困难，“上海新水墨大展”的话题和语境还在不断的延伸：相对前三届展览，“水墨当下”大展本身就是一个敞开的结构，借力社会资源，特邀客座策展人加盟，分别吸纳了来自海外的策划人张平杰、南京的陈孝信、上海的蒋正根及天津的杨维民先生，而他们的身份既有独立策展人，也有体制内的学院教授和国家艺术机构内的策划人；同时，在当代水墨的领域当中，既有利用传统水墨语言，继续抒写个性情怀的艺术创作，也有关注整体社会现实，揭示与思考社会政治图景的艺术实践，也有从语言和观念的角度，以水墨元素本身的展开切入精神层面的探索，因此，本次大展的子展览主要从全球化-地域、观念-语言、社会图景-个人心性等多个角度来呈现水墨在当代的真实生存状态，希望能够从不同的视角来剖析水墨的现象和问题，同时这些子展览本身也能成为被剖析的个案，为当代水墨的研究提供丰富的资料。所以，“水墨当下”的艺术视野不仅面对当代水墨领域，同时也把视野投向自身：究竟什么样的水墨创作能够承担对于当下文化和精神的反思？艺术家的创作和策展人的理念如何能够通过展览得到最佳的放大？ 如何通过一种具体的艺术形式来达到文化的越界和交流？这些都是通过展览抛砖引玉而来的诸多话题和思考。

《水墨当下》第四届上海新水墨艺术大展希望通过“水墨”这一特定的现象和主题，揭示当代中国的文化精神景观，既是对当代水墨领域的梳理和呈现，也是在实践上对朱屺瞻艺术馆上海新水墨基地学术成果的推进，同时也对中国当代的民族文化建设和交流提出了新的课题。

展览总策划 陈九


Artistic View of “Water-ink Today”

From the second half of the 20th century to the beginning of the 21st century, within the traditional and modern double context, the issue of water-ink art is one of the specific external embodiments of the Chinese culture and thinking. For the past decade, with the elevation of China’s economic and cultural status in the international stage, its nationality and cultural consciousness is further enhanced; “water ink”, as an artistic form of expression and one of the important representations of the Chinese art and culture, has attracted more and more attention at home and abroad. At the same time, many an important artist and institution have also participated in the construction and study of water-ink art. Therefore, to organize and present the current development of the water-ink art will be an important cultural activity for grasping the trend of the time.

Nationality identity and cultural recognition have always been an important topic for the Chinese water-ink painters; especially under the background of global cultures, cultural globalization and the discourse right of the Chinese art are the challenges confronting each and every artist. Exhibition and communication are important bridges for promoting exchange and dialogue. Zhu Qizhan Art Museum and Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art, while planning the first Shanghai New Water-ink Art Exhibition, are devoted to constructing Shanghai New Water-ink Art Base as a standing platform for new water-ink art research and activities so as to promote the development of new water-ink art.

Zhu Qizhan Art Museum and Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art have long been paying attention to the contemporary water-ink art: in 2005, the group exhibition of Harmony of Heaven, Earth and Man for the three artists Liu Guosong, Chen Jialing, and Qiu Deshu was held as the first Shanghai New Water-ink Art Exhibition; in 2006, the 2nd Shanghai New Water-ink Art Exhibition was held, with the theme of Rebirth of Water-ink Art, adopting the guest curator system, its 9 sub-exhibitions presenting in all perspectives the ecological sight of the new water-ink art. The 3rd New Water-ink Art Exhibition in 2007 invited the attendance of Lu Yanshao Arts Center while continuing to adopt the guest curator system. With the theme of Water-ink on the Way, the exhibition presents from multiple levels that water-ink landscape on the way, presenting the progress of the dynamic development of water-ink art.

It has been five sessions now since our museum held the first Shanghai New Water-ink Art Exhibition – Harmony of Heaven, Earth and Man in 2005. For the past few years, the context of new water-ink art has been developing towards an even more favorable direction. We are glad to see the expansion and strengthening of the new water-ink creation team and the harmonious coexistence of different types of artistic forms, which demonstrates the diversified value orientations, composing the contrasting and complementing overall artistic mechanism in the contemporary water-ink art. Whether “the water-ink paintings rejecting the western style” or “the post-water-ink paintings following the western style”, they are but two different routes towards the same end in their seeking for the combination between modern artistic language and the spirit of the traditional Chinese culture.

Water-ink paintings, as the symbol and medium of the national culture, are attracting more and more attention in the diversified cultures of the world; the space for dialogue between water-ink art and the art forms in the world is increasing; art museums all around the world are playing an important promoting role in the research and construction of water-ink art, and the international cultural communication is further developing.
The Chinese painter artists are becoming increasingly confident about the Chinese culture amidst the contemporary cultural layout in the world. Standing at a higher point of protecting the national culture and promoting the national spirit, in order to enhance the cultural discourse right of the Chinese art, we must strive to promote the Chinese culture, as the world wouldn’t be if without different nationalities. Therefore, we should both have a broad mind and international perspective and stick to the cultural spirit of our own nation.

The 4th Shanghai New Water-ink Art Exhibition 2009: Water-ink Art Today, co-organized by Zhu Qizhan Art Museum and Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art, exhibits the contemporary water-ink works by over 60 artists at home and abroad, representing the current development condition of the overall water-ink art. The exhibition is composed of five theme sub-exhibitions. Special Exhibition of Shanghai New Water-ink Base at the ground floor of Zhu Zhanqi Art Museum introduces the recent works by the three artists who participated the first such exhibition in 2005: Liu Guosong, Chen Jialing, and Qiu Deshu, reviews the development track and process of new water-ink exhibitions, and presents the new achievements made by these artists in the water-ink art field.

Water-ink Creation•City Inspirations at the second and third floor of Zhu Zhanqi Art Museum presents the water-ink humanity landscape during urbanization and the rising of urban culture and divides the urban social scenes after the adoption of reform and opening up policy in China into two sub-themes: landscape and figure paintings to reflect the unique social reality in China.

Water-ink Art Overseas at the ground floor of Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art selects the works by overseas Chinese water-ink painters and foreign artists engaged in water-ink art to present the historical and current artistic perspectives amongst globalization and localization.

Water-ink•Abstract at the second floor explores the relationship between language expression and concepts from the pure water-ink language perspective and probes more deeply into the spiritual world of the contemporary people.

And Pink Ink—Water-ink Painting Exhibition for Contemporary Female Artists at the third floor of Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art presents with subtlety the everyday life of the modern people from the unique perspective of female artists and includes, by means of water ink, contemporary women’s understanding and thinking of life into the overall perspective of the water-ink art.
To hold four consecutive sessions of the large-scale Shanghai New Water-ink Art Exhibition, this is a challenge to the art museum itself; yet despite the many problems and difficulties, the subject and context of the

exhibition is continuously extending: compared with its three predecessors, the current exhibition of “Water-ink Today” is an open structure, resorting to social resources, inviting the participation by guest curators, including overseas planner Zhang Pingjie, Mr. Chen Xiaoxin from Nanjing, Mr. Jiang Zhenggen from Shanghai, and Mr. Yang Weimin from Tianjin, their identities being independent exhibition planner, college professor, and planner in state art institutions. At the same time, in the contemporary water-ink art, there are artistic works that depict individual emotions through the traditional water-ink language, artistic practices that focus on the social reality as a whole and disclose and ponder upon the social politics, and artistic explorations that penetrate into the spiritual level based upon water-ink elements from the language and concept perspectives.

Therefore, the sub-exhibitions of the current exhibition mainly present the real existence of water-ink art in the contemporary age from the multiple aspects of globalization – region, concepts – language, and social prospects – individual personality, in the hope of probing into the phenomena and problems of water-ink art from different perspectives. Besides, these sub-exhibitions themselves can also be cases for study, offering rich materials for the research of the该处所说的contemporary water-ink art. Therefore, the artistic view of “Water-ink Today” not only includes the contemporary water-ink art, but also include the exhibition, posing these questions for contemplation: what kind of water-ink works take a retrospection into the current culture and spirit? How can the artists’ works and planners’ ideals be optically magnified through exhibitions? What kind of specific artistic form can realize the cultural exchange and communication? All these are subjects and questions that we wish to lead the public to ponder upon through the exhibition.

The 4th Shanghai New Water-ink Art Exhibition: Water-ink Today wishes to disclose, through the specific phenomena and subject of water-ink art, the contemporary cultural and spiritual landscape in China, organizing and presenting the contemporary water-ink art, promoting the academic achievements of Zhu Qizhan Art Museum and Shanghai New Water-ink Art Base, and introducing new study subjects for the construction and communication of contemporary national culture in China.
CHEN Jiu
Chief exhibition planner